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Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide

This guide was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter.
For more advanced trainees it can be a desktop reference, and a collection of the base knowledge needed to proceed with system and network administration. This book contains many real life examples derived from the author's experience as a Linux system and network administrator, trainer and consultant. They hope these examples will help you to get a better understanding of the Linux system and that you feel encouraged to try out things on your own.

"Well folks, it's that time to announce a new stable Slackware release again. Since we've moved to supporting the 2.6 kernel series exclusively (and fine-tuned the system to get the most out of it), we feel that Slackware 12.2 has many improvements over our last release (Slackware 12.1) and is a must-have upgrade for any Slackware user. Among the many program updates and distribution enhancements, you'll find two of the most advanced desktop environments available today: Xfce 4.4.3 and KDE 3.5.10. Slackware 12.2 uses the 2.6.27.7 kernel bringing you advanced performance features such as journaling filesystems, SCSI and ATA RAID volume support, SATA support, Software RAID, LVM (the Logical Volume Manager), and encrypted file systems."

Here's a way to have a PC fully powered. Even an old one. No bad surprise. No bullshit. Good reactivity of updates. No 140 cd's set you'll never use. I like the poor graphisms during installation because they introduce no bug. The configuration tools (net, packages...) are quick. On the Slackware site, you have The book, from which you can learn Linux really fast. The packages system is strong. No dependencies headaches. Slack leads you from newbie to expert.
I've learned more slackin' 6 monthes than 10 years of others OS (including other Linuxes). Well, please stop reading and just go for it.
P.S.: Big thanx to Patrick Volkerding and all other people who makes Slackware.

Everything works. You get flexibility, stability, and customizability.

Cons:

None. Some users may be required to learn.

Overall the install went flawless. I had a working system up in running in a few hours with dual monitors on an Nvidia card and all the extra software I use installed. Compiled the latest kernel and everything worked great.

Slackware has always been good, but there are some great folks contributing these days that have really made a huge difference in what Slack has to offer. Hats off to the folks at Slackbuilds.org - admins and contributors alike - for adding so much to the Slack experience while keeping true to the philosophy and vision.

I have used many distros over the years and I always end up with Slackware on my box.

I love the KISS method (Keep It Simple Stupid) that Pat has in place with Slackware. Some would say that this is a negative but those that say that are not willing to put the extra time in to learn the inner workings of their OS of choice and would rather be led like sheep.

Another positive with Slackware is the relatively small team of developers. Again, some would say that this is a negative but having a small team with ONE leader prevents too many fingers in the pie thus creating some broken packages.

If you choose Slackware as your distro of choice, do not forget to go to the Slackware store and purchase a subscription or some of the other Slackware related products.

It's excellent to find out Slackware developer(s) keep the proven concept for such a long time. It's a great work you can rely on. Very rare in current times.
For my personal needs I have to build my own packages for software missing in stock packages, but it's no hassle - mostly just change of package version in corresponding SlackBuild and rebuild. Very simple according to Slackware's philosophy.

The Slackware crew has done a great job again. Everything worked great after the install, including transferring files from my camera. The excellent hardware support in this release is also worth mentioning. Like many others, I keep trying other distributions but keep coming back to Slackware. It's just way too easy to customize!

This is what I've wanted of an OSS all this while. A working wifi out of the box on my Fujitsu Esprimo U9200. The updated kernel works like a charm on my hardware. Sure, there's a learning curve (albeit one that has become considerably shorter). But if you can't afford that, there are other (well known) alternatives. Cheerios and a big thanks to all the developers involved with the Slackware project.

Stable, fast and user friendly(atleast for the ones who know what they're doing)+has KDE 3.5 instead of 4

Cons:

Zer0

Amazing distro as it keeps pulling me back from other ditros as my love for Slackware is eternal L0L! Oh yes I forgot to mention the excellent hardware compatibility in Slackware coz at least all three of my boxes work flawlessly out of the box.Well done Pat and the dev team and keep up the good job :D

Every New Slackware release has been better than the previous version. That can't be said for some proprietary OS'es that sell for 3X the money and give you 1/3 the power/stability/customizability. You will learn more from running/configuring Slackware than you would from just running a Linux system that configures itself and hides the process behind a GUI. I started really learning Linux when I went from VectorLinux 5.9 to Slackware 12.1. But I needed to read the manual and create a notebook with notes to reference. If you do want to learn and are willing to read and put it the time, you WILL learn. Being able to customize anything requires knowledge, time, and hard work. But it is worth it.

Lags slightly behind in features, still has a few bugs, slackbook getting dated

Slackware is a good choice for someone who wants to install Linux without too much hassle but wants to know something about what's going on during the installation. The Slackbook provides lots of information to help.

Slackware was my introduction to Linux and I'm very glad about that. Between the Slackbook and the superb work in putting a reliable distro together I managed to install Linux as a real n00b and still learn a lot about Linux during and after installing it.

Slackware makes it easy to install Linux on unusual systems because the installer (setup) only requires the command prompt and not a working X-Windows. Also, the command prompt before installation makes it easy to load driver modules for unusual disk controllers or programs such as "dmraid".

Slackware is a very reliable distro and although some packages are not the very latest they are stable and proven versions.

There are a few minor bugs in KDE and sometimes a problem appears in a new release of Slackware. So far those have all been very insignificant and I've been able to update packages if I really need to fix the problem.

Slackware stays true to the standard released versions of packages so I have no problem updating packages from source. Even though Slackware releases are spaced further in time, one can choose to install more up to date software from the Slackware packages or software authors. I like that approach because I know that a new Slackware release is going to be solid.

The Slackbook is getting outdated and that is a problem for some newer features like the HAL or "udev".

The 12.2 release is considerably more laptop friendly than previous versions. It added better support for wifi and soft-modems. It also includes newer ALSA drivers that support more laptops.

My two computers with "fake hardware RAID" were difficult to get working with Linux. Slackware was the only distro with good enough documentation and the flexibility for me to make the RAID work for booting Linux.

I grew up with DOS then Windows. Then got interested in linux so I tried RedHat (later Fedora as well) and UBuntu. All of which attempted killing me with its efforts to mimic Windows, also package managers are not very happy when you sneak around them.
Slackware lets me do what I want, things can go both ways easily - right or wrong, and that's Linux.
Sure as a complete noob I have to spend more time and don't have the convenience of "one click" mumbo jumbo but I love it that way.

I bought the 12.0 version a long time ago just to support them and get the book and it worked great. Then I got a new computer and I could never install Slack on it, it would never detect the sata hard drive (even though it detected the SATA hard drive on my old computer). So I downloaded 12.2 recently and it installed flawlessly and works great. I don't know what they fixed but they fixed it. (New kernel maybe? I don't know, I'm not an expert.)

I really don't know why Windows thrives. Anyone who can learn long division can install and use Slackware. Then it runs stable forever with no anti-virus or anti-spyware BS. And then if they upgrade you can download the new version for free. (not that you have to pay for it in the first place) Windows costs hundreds of dollars and you have to register it and everybody I know who uses Windows complains about their system getting bogged down from malware and a messed up registry.

Pros :
- if u want to learn UNIX (not specific knowledge use only in one distro) this is your choice
- u've to install package manually (also dependencies)
so it make u have wider knowlegde for package
,that's necessary if u plan on going to LFS or Higher level
- Brillant stable
- To complete the 3 pros above , try NOT to use slapt-get :D

Cons :
- installing package manually may toxic to newbie
- take much time to config & install software (from manually search/make/install)
- if u must deal with a deadly number of dependencies
like. KDE-SVN etc. -- Then U R DEAD --

if you r planning to use package-management along with slackware?
then other distro is prefer...

Tried many before and after, but Slackware is THE mainstay anti bloatware, no bs, consistent and reliable distro for anyone. Install all or pick what you want. You can compile and tweak what you want or just use it out of the box. Once you Slack, you never go back. The Slackware community is excellent, thank you Pat!

When I started using Linux, I realized one of the biggest advantages it has over UNIX is its flexibility.

Every UNIX derivative boasts about being rock-solid and what not (which is mostly true).

And yet, being rock-solid is not always an advantage. :)

Sometimes you need modularity and flexibility, versatility, so you can tailor your system to fit your needs.

(That's probably the main reason why supercomputers in the world mostly use Linux today - check out top500.org - and not UNIX; AIX used to rule in that area a couple of years back.)

So anyway, back to what I was saying. :D Linux is more flexible than UNIX, but also tends to be too loose sometimes. ;)

The user/developer has the control over it, so things sometimes tend to get out of control.

Well Slackware, while being 100% Linux, manages to remain loyal to the UNIX stability principles - that's one of the goals that Patrick Volkerding mentioned from the outset.

So bottom line is, while most of the other distros out there tend to overwhelm you with new tools and pieces of software (which is good in a way, but often not enough), Slackware manages to stay strict as far as system philosophy goes, all the while it offers you pretty new software as well (RedHat/CentOS are lagging way behind, to give an example.)

Slackware is conservative as far as the form goes, not the content - which is new, as well as tested.

I join Linux one years ago, I try some distributions and stop with Slackware.sometimes I don't know why I am love this distribution,Now I know ,because the Slackware can let me know how Linux working, For example, you can read the system init scripts and understand how the slackware start up.
when system start up ,you get a black ,seems Unfriendly command line, you must do something yourself Even though start up a X-window.
Slacware is too stable .And there have a rich lib on it.Some people don't like this distribution because they had not yet find out something Preciously in slackware.
Thanks for all slackware Developers , Hope the slackware will be the best one !